Beware of These New Senior Scams!

Medicare Fraud and scams surrounding Medicare are extremely common. We receive countless panicked phone calls from those fearful that their coverage is being cancelled.

But with a little knowledge, you can avoid falling for these potentially perilous scams.

So, let’s go over some of the best common scams to avoid in 2025.

New Medicare Card

In 2018 new Medicare cards were released, and this prompted the creation of a new and very convincing Medicare card scam. This scam is still used to this day. 

A Medicare representative will call and encourage you to share personal details so they can replace your card with a newer or more secure version.

But wait, did you request a call from a Medicare representative? Remember, Medicare will only ever get in touch with you if you ask them to.

They’ll ask for personal information such as your Social Security number or Medicare ID. They can then use these details to steal your identity, file fraudulent Medicare claims in your name, or even open new financial accounts.

Cancelled Medicare

One of the easiest ways to convince someone to fall for a scam is with a sense of urgency and danger. 

The phone rings.

It’s a Medicare representative, and you are at risk of losing your benefits! In fact, they’ve sent letters and have been trying to get in touch. This is your final notice. 

You just need to provide your personal information now so that they can update your account and prevent you from losing your benefits. 

Contrary to what these Medicare scam callers insist, there are only a few circumstances that would lead to the cancellation of your benefits, like failing to pay your premiums or committing actual fraud.

Better Medicare Coverage 

If you have a Medigap Plan, Medicare Advantage or Part D, scammers can call claiming to offer better or cheaper coverage. 

Is this your usual agent or broker? Is this your plan? If not, then they are not allowed to call you.

Again, the goal here to to steal your personal information. They might even ask you to make a payment over the phone and steal that money as well. 

Rebates and Refunds

This one is tricky because there can be some truth here. Medicare scammers may claim that you’re entitled to a refund or rebate on prescriptions, equipment, or medical services that you’ve received. However, to get access to the money you’re “owed,” they’ll say you need to confirm your billing details or personal information.

Sometimes, you may actually be eligible for refunds or rebates, but your healthcare provider should inform you about them directly. If this is unprompted and this is someone you don’t know, this could potentially be a scam. Call your physician’s office to confirm. 

Medical Tests and Equipment

This is a big one. Some Medicare scam calls promise free or steeply discounted medical equipment or services. The genetic testing scam has been extremely prominent.  

They’ll just need to confirm your Medicare ID and address so they can send it to you… 

This should raise some red flags. 

Hospice Fraud

Hospice fraud is particularly despicable and preys upon people at their most vulnerable. Scammers are getting beneficiaries to agree to hospice care even though they do not qualify for the benefit. Hospice fraud occurs when Medicare Part A is falsely billed for any level of hospice care or service.

You can report hospice fraud if:

• You have been falsely certified as being terminally ill
• Your Explanation of Benefits (EOB) shows that you were billed for a higher level of care than was provided or for services you didn’t receive
• You receive inadequate or incomplete services
• You were provided less care on the weekends

Inaccurate Medical Bills

This last one may or may not be a scam based on your interpretation. Medical billing errors are extremely common. In fact, one statistic estimates that 4 out of 5 medical bills contain some type of error. That figure is absolutely staggering.

Possible approaches include overcharging for services, upcoding (billing for a more expensive service than the one that was provided), unbundling (separately billing for components of a single service), and phantom billing (billing for services that were never performed).

Request an itemized bill for any healthcare services you receive. Call your healthcare provider and your insurance if you see an error. 

If you suspect Medicare Fraud, report the scam to Medicare by calling the fraud hotline at (800) 633-4227.  You can also contact your broker because they will serve as a liaison between you and your insurance carrier. This is especially helpful in the case of medical billing errors.